We must not consider the word "death" lightly. It is not enough to be a grain of wheat alone. As a born- again son of God (Matt. 13:38), one is merely a babe and cannot do much for God. It is not enough just to fall into the ground, for even if one is willing to suffer and to be hidden, he is still not dead and is still one grain; there is still no increase. Death is the ultimate and the most important step. Death unlocks the gate of life. Death is the only requirement for fruit bearing. Death is indispensable. And yet how many are there who truly experience this death? Death terminates all activity. Death is the end to our human life. After death, there remains no room for the activity of the self life. This death is not a reluctant death, because the Lord said we should "hate" this self life. To hate is a kind of attitude; it is a lasting attitude. Therefore, we should willingly put this life to death; we should have a full understanding of the poverty of this life and should hate it.
What is the result of the death of this life? The result is many grains. The reason, the very reason, the Lord cannot use us is that we work by our intellect, love, etc. This soul life is a low-level life; it is not a high-level life. As such it can hardly bear fruit. Although it contains some merits, yet only "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The self life, and everything that comes with it, is completely useless. If we really put ourselves, our self life, that is, all that we can do and all that we are, completely on the Lord's cross, we will see how the Lord will use us. If we are empty within, there will not be any blockage to the gushing out of God's living water from us. This kind of fruit bearing is different from the ordinary fruit bearing because the fruit that we bear is "many." Our fruit bearing depends totally on our death.
Therefore, believers, just as our self had filled us, even so now must Christ fill us. Otherwise, we have not yet received the full salvation. The key for us to receive our salvation and the key for us to be saved is to be delivered from the self. It is easy for a believer who is in the self to fall into sin. This is why in order to die completely to sin, one must die completely to self. Christ is not only our Savior who frees us from sin; He is also our Savior who saves us from the self. To die to self is the only pathway for our spiritual living. Yet, besides God, no one can put our self life to death. However, if we are not willing, God can do nothing. The activity of the self is sometimes quite hidden under a spiritual veil. A believer may not recognize it at first by himself. This is why God has to remove the veil through all kinds of outward circumstances in order that the believer will come to know himself. The most difficult thing for a person to do is to know himself. We do not know ourselves. This is why we have to go through God's dealing hand before we realize the evil of the self. If in our experience we have not died to self, we have not made any real progress in our spiritual life. If you and I are willing to let the Holy Spirit of the Lord apply the death of the self in us and to work it out of us today, we will see a great progress in our lives.
Brothers! May we declare together in one accord, "Not as I will, but as You [the Father] will!" (Matt. 26:39).
The above article deals with questions of the spiritual life. May the reader not consider this as a kind of theory. One should compare his spiritual experience with the words here. If he does this, he will understand these words. We are all babes in Christ. May the Lord guide us step by step. If we do not have the experience of the death of the self, it is better to say we do not have it. But we must never take the self life as the spiritual life. May God bless us.